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Use a Firewall

Windows (7, 8 and 10) includes a firewall and should be activated while connected to the campus network.

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For more information about firewalls, visit the above Microsoft Security link or:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm
http://www.firewallguide.com

Patch your System

Ensure that your PC has the latest security patches.

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This includes making sure your email client, office suite, and PDF reader, for example, are up-to-date.

Use Virus-Scanning and Anti-Spyware software

Be sure to install virus-scanning software such as ClamAV/Immunet.

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There are several free Anti-Spyware tools available, including Ad-Aware, or Spybot among others.

Check for Malware

Scan also for Malware using Ad-Aware, Spybot or Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. 

Even with Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware programs in place, Malware can still slip through just like viruses due to Zero-Day (Launch) attacks. 

Most definitions will take a day or two before a new definition is available to locate such programs.

Consider using a different Internet Browser

One author found his share of Spyware decreased significantly when he started using Firefox. http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/.

Consider also using certain add-ons that some browsers have available, such as NoScript.

Know Whats Running on Your System

Deactivate unnecessary services on your PC.

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Older versions of services may have security flaws allowing attackers to gain Administrator rights on your PC.

You can check the system for rogue services (e.g. back doors, FTP servers, etc.). http://www.foundstone.com has a nice tool called Vision for identifying ports and processes on Windows hosts.

If you believe your University owned Windows PC or laptop has been infected, disconnect it from the network immediately and contact help@engineering.ucsb.edu.

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